Method and apparatus for completing wells



May 6, 1958 J. M. LLOYD, JR 2,833,352

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPLE'IING WELLS Filed April 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

.lli

.qui D l T INVENToR,

JOHN M.LLOYD JR FIG.I

ATTORNEY May 5, 1958 J. M. LLOYD, JR 2,833,352

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPLETING WELLS Filed April 23. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 76 s L 77 *i 75 n! Il l s? |t|| l 'i '49 h M FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

JOHN M. LLOYD JR.'

BY l

F|G, 3` Y ATTORNEY May 6, 1958 .-1. M. LLoYD, JR 2,833,352

METHOD AND APPAR'NS FOR COMPLETING WELLS Filed April 23, 1954 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. e'

IN VEIV TOR. JOHN M. LLOYD JR.

BY a o 1 ATTORNEY May 6, 1958 J. M. LLOYD, JR 2,833,352 Ammon Arm APPARATUS Fox coMPLsTrNG WELLS Filed April 23, 1954 5 sheets-sheet 4 JOHN M. LLOYD JR.

ATTORNEY FIG. T

May 6, 1958 J. M. LLoYD, JR 2,833,352

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPLETING WELLS Filed April 23, 1954 I 5 Sheets-Shea*l 5 11g/(4)0711 'IIIIIIIIIIII/ IN VEN TOR.

JOHN M. LLOYD JR. .BY

A TTORNE Y United States Patent() METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPLETIN G WELLS lohn M. Lloyd, Jr., Houston, Tex., assigner to Pan American Petroleum Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1954, Serial No. 425,194

8 Claims.` (Cl. 166-34) This invention relates to the art of well completion. More particularly, this invention pertains to an improved method and apparatus for setting a screen liner in a high pressure oil or gas well.

In oil and gas wells which are completed by setting the casing through the producing formation, it has beenr shown that the perforating elciency or productivity of the producing formation following perforation is substantially improved if, instead of perforating the casing while the drilling fluid is still in the hole, that uid is removed and the casing is perforated in the presence of a clean fluid, i. e., a liquid or gas which does not contain finely-divided solids such as colloids, cuttings, or the like. Equipment has been developed and used extensively within recent years which permits the drilling lluid to be removed from a well before the casing or in some cases the uncased formation is perforated and yet provides means to maintain 'the well under pressure control. This equipment generally consists of an open-ended tubing string and a tubing extension combined with a casing perforator which may be lowered through the tubing. The tubing can thus be placed in the well and the drilling uid circulated out by use of a clean fluid. With the clean fluid then located at the elevation of the producing formation, the perforator is lowered'through the tubing to a position opposite the producing formation and is detonated to perforate the casing. With a well thus equipped Awith an open-ended tubing, various workoVer processes can be performed on the well without the necessity of killing the well. For example, old perforations can be squeeze cemented and new perforations produced. 'This process is sometimes referred to as permanent type well completion. i

In many of the high pressure wells where pressure control equipment is required for completing the wells, the producing formation may be, unconsolidated or only partially consolidated sand so that fine sand particles are produced into the well through the casing perforation. In areas which 'have these sand problems, it has been found desirable in many cases to provide a screen liner in the well opposite the casing perforations. No method has been suggested for completing these wells by perfor-ating and placing a screen liner therein in the presence of a clean lightweight fluid or for recompleting these wells without first killing the well by the injection of -a heavy uid, typically a fluid `containing finely-divided solids, which maintains a higher pressure within the well at the elevation of the producing formationthan the bottorn hole or rock pressure of that formation.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for completing wells which penetrate producing sand formations where lthe sand is unconsolidated or at most only partially consolidated. A more specific object of this invention is to provide a method for perforating and setting a-screen liner in a high pressure oil or g-aswell with that well under pressure control. A 'still 'more specific object of this invention is to provide an improvement in the permanent type well completionart whereby a screen liner assembly can be lowered into a well, the drilling Huid therein removed, the casing perforated, and the screen liner set while the well is maintained under pressurev control. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description. In this description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1` and 2 are respectively cross-sectiona1 views of the upper and lower sections of one embodiment of a screen liner assembly suitable for use in completing wells in accordance with this invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a well and well head equipment showing certain steps performed in my well completion process;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view in detail of a part of the well head equipment shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a well and well head equipment showing another step in my well completion process; p

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a well and well head apparatus showing completion of the process and the well in condition for operation;

Figures 7 and 8 `are respectively cross-sectional views of the upper and lower sections of an alternate embodiment of the screen liner assembly shown in Figures l and 2 including apparatus for setting this assembly in a well; and

Figure 9 'is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of still another embodiment of `a screen liner assembly including setting equipment therefor. The apparatus shown is a modication of that shown in Figure 2 and is adapted to be connected at the top to the apparatus shown in Figure l. v

This invention may be described in brief as an improved screen liner apparatus for a high pressure well and a method for setting the liner. The process involves generally the steps of running the screen liner assembly substantially to the producing formation of a cased high pressure well lled with drilling fluid, displacing the drilling iiuid out of the well, perforating the casing below the line assembly, and subsequently placing or securing the liner assembly in the well opposite the perforated section while maintaining the well under pressure control.

Referring now specifically to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the liner assembly isrst made up preferably in one piece on the surface. This assembly consists of a shoe 15 having teeth 16 cut in the lower end to stabilize or preventethe collar and the remainder of the liner assembly from turning when theassembly is set down on the bottom of the well. This shoe contains a valve seat 17 spaced a short distance, e. g., one foot, above the lower end. The valve seat which is annular as indicated may be attached to the collar by threads 18, as indicated, by welding, or the like. rotates about a pivot 2l in the wall of the shoe is adapted to be urged by a leaf spring 2&2 into a closed position which seals the opening 23y in the valve seat.. A recess 24 may be provided inthe shoe .so that the valve member 19I opens to pass a ytubular mandrel 25 on the setting tool. A running in sleeve 26 is attached as by threads 27 to the upper end of the shoe l5. This sleeve has an internal coarse female thread 2S which is desirably a left-V A valve member 19 whichY to set the packer, i.` e., compress the packing element around the mandrel and thus expand itvdiametrically Vto fill the casing whereby iiuid low between the screen liner assembly and the casing is diverted through the screen pipe openings 37 into the assembly. between mandrel 34 and -thetaperedpacker head 39 are adapted `to hold the ipacker head andthe upper end `of the packerdownonthemandrel after the packing element has" been compressed. A packer setting sleeve 49 is connected to the upper end of the packer head. `This sleeve has an internal shoulder41 on which the 4shoulder 42 on expanding latch 43 `in the setting tool 44 seats to compress the .packing element longitudinally and expand it radially. The `setting `tool is placed yin the tubing string 45with.aspacerf461between-it andrthe running tool shorter than the distance between ythe running in sleeve and the packer setting sleeve. While the running in sleeve is shownfbelowvthe pipescreen and packer, it will beapparent that in some cases this sleeve may be placed to advantage at other positions in the assembly. p

This assembly, as indicated above, is .desirably -made up. in one piece `at the surface. VIt is then lowered into the `welltwith the shoe-on the bottom and the tubing coupling 47 extending out the top ready for connecting the remainder of the string of tubing. This assembly may be `hung with a bowlon the tubing vhead by tubing coupling 47.

`A ram type `tubing head 48, as shown generally in Figure 3 and in :detail in Figure 4, is preferred but not necessary. This tubing ,headhas a lower ange 49 which may be `attached t to the braden head 51. The rams 52, which are formed like the rams in a blow-out preventer, are adapted to `support the weight of the tubing and at the same time to seal around thetubing so that pressure can` be maintained in the annular space 53 between the casing `5-4and the tubing45. The rams are opened and closed around the tubing by stems 55.

After the screen liner assembly has been made up and lowered into the well, as described above, additional joints oftubing are added as the screen liner assembly is loweredinto the well; AfterV the assembly has been loweredfuntil thelshoe is at an elevation only a short distance, typically -90 feet, above the ,upper level of the producing formation 56, a hanger nipple 57 is attached to the top joint of the'tubing. The outside diameter of this hanger nipple is the same as the outside diameter of the tubing. The inside ofthe hanger nipple is threaded to receive a tubing or bridging plug, a back pressure valve, or the like, which is later inserted as hereinafter p described. Other types of bridging plugs such as those set on a wire line can be used. This hanger nipple is then lowered into the tubing head 48 and the rams 52 are closed. This seals the upper end of the annular spaceV 53. The weight of the assembly and the tubing is then supported by shoulder 58 of the hanger nipple which rests on the upper face 59 of rams 52. A master valve 61, a ow T 62, and a blowout preventer 63 are attached in sequence to the upper llange 64 of the tubing head.

In new wells the dirty fluids, particularly the drilling fluid, can be left in the well up to this point while the screen liner assembly and tubing are run, but usually a trip is made to the bottom and all drilling iluid is removed before commencing the above-outlined completion process. Since there are no perforations in the casing, there is no danger of the well developing pressure or going out of control. In some cases, the dirty iluid is merely displaced ol bottom, out of the zone to be perforated, by a more dense clean or clear liquid such as carbon tetrachloride. In old wells, those which have been on production, the well is first killed by filling it with a dead uid, usually drilling mud. The mud is also left in these old walls up to this point in the process. With the well head connections in place, circulation can be established in the well and the uids therein, particularlyv .tool 31` from the running in sleeve.

the dirty or solids-containing fluids such as mud, can be removed. To establish circulation in the well, clean iiuid such as oil, water, or gas is injected into the casing through the outlet 65 on the tubing head. As pressure is applied to the clean fluid, mud or dirty iluid is displaced out of the annular Ispace 53, the screen liner assembly, and the tubing through the ow T 62. By circulating an excess of `clean fluid down through `the annulus and out the tubingror, vice versa, down the tubing and out through the annulus, all of the .dirty iluids in the well down to the bottom plug 66 `.may be removed leaving the well opposite the producing formation 56 illed with clean iluids. A lubricator 67 is then attached to the upper end of `the `blowfout preventer 63 and a small diameter tubing type perorator 68 is lowered through the tubing and screen liner assembly down to a section of the casing opposite the producing formation. Any number of casing perforations 69 .may then be made in this sectiondepending upon, the type of perforator and the number of trips made with the pertorator into the well. When the desired number of periorations has been made in the casing,dthe perforator 68 is withdrawn into the lubricator 67 and after master valve 61 has -been closed, the lubricator and perforator can be removed from the well head connections. Before the screen liner assembly can be lowered into position in the well with the screen pipe opposite the casing perforations, the tubing must be plugged to prevent flow-of the clean 4huid and keep the well under control. A back pressure valve 7-1 or a suitable bridging plug having an external left-hand thread 72 is then lowered into the Well head through blow-out preventer 63 and threaded into the internal left-hand threads in lhanger nipple 57. This valve is inserted in the hanger nipple by attaching the internal threads 73 to arunning in tool (not shown) by means `well known in the art. This yvalve has a cage 74 attached at the lower end of the housing 7S. The valve member 76 is urged upwardly to a closed position against a seat on the valve housing by compression spring77. After the back pressurevalvc in the tubing, liow through the tubing due to high pres? sure in the well is prevented so that with the master valve open the well is kept under control eventhough the pressure in the well due to the well tluids entering Qthe well through perforations 69 might otherwise'be great enough to cause the well to flow.L

As indicated in Figure` 5, an additional tubing 78 is then lowered through the well head connections and threaded into the upper end of the hanger nipple. The tubing 45 can then be raised a short distance so that the rams 52 can be retracted to permit shoulder SS'to be lowered through the tubing head. The tubing and screen liner assembly are then lowered by adding joints of tubing at the top until the screen liner assembly, and particularly the screen pipe 32, is opposite perforations 69. The tubing can be lowered more than one Vjoint while maintaining pressure on the annular space 53 by alternate use of the rams in blow-out preventer 63 and in tubing head 48. That is, when the rams in blow-out preventer' arc opened to pass a tubing coupling, the rams in tubing head 48 may be closed around the tubing and the tubing loweredtherethrough. Similarly, when a tubing coupling reaches the rams in tubing head 48 and they are opened. the rams in blow-out preventer 63 are closed to maintain pressure in the annular space and prevent the well from flowing through the annular space 53.

After the screen liner assembly has been lowered to the desired position, itis placed in the casing by setting the packer. To set the packer, the tubing is first rotated to the right a number of turns to unthread the running As the tubing is rotated to-the right, rotationof the screen liner assembly is prevented by releasing weight on the tubing and .transferring Weight onto the screen liner -assemblyso that the teeth 16 are driven into the bottom plug 66 or the bottom of the well. When the running tool is thus disconnected from therunning in sleeve, the rtubing is raised, first withdrawing the mandrel from the opening 23 and allowing the valve 19 to seat against valve seat 17. This closes vthe fluid passage through the bottom of the screen liner assembly. By raising the tubing further, the setting tool 44 is raised into setting sleeve 40 so that shoulder 42 on expanding Vlatch 43 will contact shoulder 41 in the setting sleeve. The tubing is then lowered to apply the weight of the tubing through the expanding latch, the setting sleeve, and the packer head 39 to the upper end of packing element 36. Sufficient Weight is applied, las indicated by a weight indicator at the surface, to expand the packing element so that the annular space between the mandrel 34 and the casing is sealed. As the packer head 39 is thus forced down on mandrel 34, yslips 38 are carried along and due to the teeth thereon, the packer head is held in its lowermost position. The tubing being disconnected from the screen liner assembly can then if desired be suspended onv a second hanger nipple placed in the added tubing 78. In the preferred embodiment, it is desirably raised, while maintaining the annular space closed by the various rams, to its initial setting where the above-described hanger nipple 57 is located in the ram type tubing head. After the rams 52 are again closed on the hanger nipple, the additional tubing 78 above the hanger nipple and theback pressure valve '71 can be removed under pressure by means well known in the art. When they have been removed, as indicated in Figure 6, the master ,valve 61 can be closed. -Any flow connections can then be made to the well head and to the ilow T 62 with the master valve closed so that the well may be llowedl as desired.

countered in .the Gulf Coast region of the United States, I have found that a screen liner assembly employing a top packer only sometimes causes trouble. That is, when the screen becomes partially blocked, the high pressure under the 'packer sometimes causes the screen liner assembly to be lifted-in the well so that the screen is 4not opposite the perforations. In such cases, it 'is sometimes desirable to provide slip means for holding the screen liner assembly down in the well or otherwise to providel after the running sleeve is disconnected from Vthe running in sleeve by rotation of the tubing, thepackeris expanded by rupturing a shear pin 82. More particularly, to set the lower packer, the running tool 31 is disconnected from the running in sleeve by rotating the tubing to the right and then raising thel ytubing until the setting tool 44 is located in setting sleeve 40'. Shoulder 42 on expanding latch 43 then can be lowered to .contact shoulder 4l. As the tubing is lowered further at Vthe surface7 additional weight of the tubing is applied through this setting tool to the top of the packing element 36 and the mandrel 34'.

Depending upon the shear strength of shear pin 82, when suthcient weight, typically 10,000 pounds `or more, has been applied to the top of the'vmandrel, the shear pin is ruptured and the packing element is collapsed by telescoping the mandrel 34 into the extension or blank liner 83. In some cases, the setting sleeve 40' is considered unnecessary'and the lower packer can begsetby applying- -force at `a higher point. For example,"two pin type packers can be set from onepositionv of the setting 5 A v Y tool'V if the lower shear pin is weaker than the top shear pin. .The tubing is then again raised until the setting tool 44 is located in top setting sleeve 40.` When the tubing is then lowered again, the shoulder 42 on the setting tool strikes shoulder 4i applying a load on the Itapered packer head 39 compressing and expanding the packing element 36 as described above. The setting tool and running tool lare then raised out' of the screen liner assembly as the tubing is raised to place the hanger nipple again in the tubing head.- Thus with a setting tool of the type described in connection with the embodiment shown in Figures l and 2, a screen liner assembly having double packing elements which straddle the perforations can be placed and set in the casing.

While the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 has been found highly satisfactory in most instances, it could be that in somecases the running tool is not easily disconnected or Unthreaded from the running in sleeve. That is, the teeth 16 on the bottom yof the shoe might not always readily penetrate hard cement or a cast iron bridging plug at the bottom of a well and produce sufcient reactive force to resist rotation of the screen liner assembly when the tubing is rotated. A modification of this embodiment, 'and particularly of the bottom part of the embodiment shown in Figuresl and 2, which is shown in Figure 9, hasbeen found to overcome these difficulties.

In very high pressure operations, such as those enf This embodiment differs generally from the previously described embodiments in that a bottom shear pin type packer is set first as a means of anchoring the screen liner assembly so that the running tool can be disconnected by rotating the tubing. That is, instead of relying upon the anti-turn device comprising the teeth on the shoe, the bottom packer or in some cases both packers are set before the running tool is disconnected.v In this embodiment, a shoe 15 is located at the bottom of the assembly. It is connected either directly or by a suitable length spacer 84 tothe lower packer 81. Packer 81, as described above, is preferably a shear pin type packer which is set by applying a load to'the top of the packer with the tubing through the running tool 31 and the running in sleeve 26 or through the setting tool 44. When suicie'nt force has been applied to the top of the packer and is transmitted through mandrel 34 to the shear pin 82, that pin is ruptured and the packing element 36 is compressed axially and expanded radially to pack oit the space between the screen liner assembly and the casing below the perforations.

After the lower packer has thus been set, the screen liner assembly isanchored so that the running tool can be disconnected from the running in sleeve and the screen liner assembly by rotating the tubing. The running in sleeve may be placed at any position in the screen liner assembly, but preferably it is placed immediately above the lower packer so that circulation can be established around the bottom shoe without a tubing extension or mandrel through the assembly. An upper packer is provided above the screen pipe. This packer may be of the pin type, but `preferably it is of the slip type which, like the upper packer in the embodiments described above, is set by applying a downward force on the upper end of the packer with the tubing. A setting tool 44, as shown in Figure l, is placed in the tubing string spaced from the running tool at a distance such that when the running tool is disengaged from the running in sleeve, the setting tool is below the setting sleeve 41. Accordingly, after the tubing has been disconnected from the screen liner assembly, it is raised a predetermined distance great enough to place the shoulder 42 on expanding latch 43 above lthe shoulder 41 in the setting sleeve. The tubing is then lowered and sufficient weight is let olf at the surface so that the packing element 36 is expanded as above described. While this last described embodiment of the screen liner assembly' is subject to the possible difficulty that the lower packer may be set prematurely if the lower end of the assembly strikes a constriction or thelike assessain the casing, this diiculty is readily overcome `by running a dummy of greater diameter than the assembly into the well before the assembly is run. Furthermore, it will be apparent that the assembly can be lowered slowly while `the weight on the running lines is watched carefully to'be Vsure that insullicient weight is applied through the tubing to rupture the shear pin in the lower packer element. The disadvantages, therefore, are not considered serious and this embodiment is in many cases preferred over the previously described embodiments due to the ability to anchor the assembly before the running tool is disconnected.

In the above description, various types of detachable screen liner assemblies and methods for placing these assemblies in a well under pressure have'been described. Various `other modifications of this invention will be apparent. For example, theinvention is clearly not limited to detachable assemblies or a method of placing such assemblies. In some cases 'itmay be `desirable to run a screen liner permanently attached to the tubing, i. e., not anchored or set-in the casing, using the process herein generally described. i i

It can, therefore, rbe seen that this inventionv is susceptible of a wideivarietyof embodiments and should not be construed to be limited to the description of certain embodimentsgiven. It should be limited' only by the scope of the appended claims. f

I claim:

l. A method of completing a well which penetrates a high pressure formation and contains dirty iluids, said well containing a casing through saidvformation, comprising lowering` and open-ended screen liner assembly into said well on a'conduit, said screen-liner assembly including a tubular screen, temporarily suspending said screen liner assembly in said Well above said formation,

displacing said dirty fluids 'out of said casing` opposite said i formation, and then placing said screen liner assemblyin said casing at substantially the elevation of said section with uid seals above and below said tubular screen .to`

cause fluids entering said well from said formation to flow through `said screen.

2. A method of completing a well which penetrates a rhigh pressure formation and is .filled with a dirty fluid comprising setting a casing string through said high pres-` sure formation, displacing said dirty Vliuid out of -said casingwith a clean uid, lowering a screen liner assembly including` a screen pipe into said casing on a tubing, said screen i liner assembly having an axial passage `therethrough, temporarily suspending said screen liner assembly in said casing above said highfp-ressure formation,

lowering-a casing perforator through said tubing `and.

3. in a method of completing a well containing a clean iluid and Vhaving a` casing set therein through a high pres-v sure producing formation, the steps in series of lowering a screen `liner `assembly comprising at least one packer and ascreen pipe into said casing on a tubing,.said `screen liner assembly and said tubing having an opening therethroughifor the passage of a casing perforator, temporarily hanging saidtubing in a tubing head with the bottom of said screen liner assembly above said formationysaid tubing head sealing the upper end of the4 annular space between Asaid tubing and said casing abovev a `casingoutlet, lowering a casing perforator through said opening to a. `position opposite `said formation and making at least one perforation through said casing at said position, lowering said tubing and said screenv liner assembly in said well until said screen pipe is ata position substantially opposite said perforation, disconnecting said tubing from said screen linerfassembly, sealing the flow channels between saidscreen liner assembly and said casing including setting said at least one packer so that well fluids produced into said :casing through said perforation enter said tubing through said screen pipe, and `hanging said tubing in said 'tubing head, said well being maintained under pressure control at the well head after the step of making said perforation through said casing.

4. A method of completing a well which penetrates a high pressure producing formation and which contains a casing set through said formation, said casing being filled with a clean solids-free fluid, comprising the steps of lowering a screen liner assembly on a tubing into said casing, said screen liner assembly comprising a screen pipe and packer means at the ends `of said screen pipe, said packer means being adapted when set to seal the annular space between said screen pipe and said casing and cause well fluids to enter said tubing through said screen pipe, said screen liner assembly and said tubing being lowered into said well to a depth at which the bottom of said screen liner assembly is above said formation, temporarily hanging said tubing by means of a hanger nipple therein on a tubing head to seal the upper end of the annular space between said tubing and said casing, installing a master valve and a blow-out preventer on said tubing head above said hanger nipple, lowering a casing perforator on a perforator cable through said tubing and said screen liner assembly, perforating a section of said casing at the elevation of said formation, withdrawing said perforator cable from said well, placing a plug in said tubing to prevent liow of fluid therethrough, attaching additional tubing to the top of said hanger nipple, lowering said tubing while maintaining a pressure seal betweensaid tubing and said casing until said screen pipe is in a position substantially opposite said section, disconnecting said tubing from said assembly, setting said packer means, raising said tubing while maintaining a pressure seal between said tubing and said casing to a position at which said hanger nipple is again located in said tubing head, again suspending said tubing by means of said hanger nipple on said tubing head, removing said plug from said tubing, and removing said additional tubing from-the top of said hanger nipple, whereby said well is maintained `under pressure control after said casing is perforated and whereby said casing is perforated and said screen liner assembly-is placed in said Well in the presence of a clean fluid. Y

5. A method according to claim 4 in which said tubing above said hanger nipple has tubing collars thereon and in which said pressure seal between said tubing and said casing is maintained while said tubing is raised and lowered by alternately closing and opening said blow-out preventer and a ram'type tubnghead as said tubing collars pass therethrough. f

6. A method according to claim 5 in which said plug comprises a back pressure valve which permits ow of iluid into said well through said tubing but prevents said Well from owiug through said tubing, whereby the fluids in said well can be circulated while said well is maintained vunder pressure control.

7. In a method of completing a well drilled by the rotary method and containing drilling lluid, said well having a casing set through a high pressure producing formation and said casing having an outlet at the surface, the

steps in series of lowering a screen liner assembly through said casing on a'tubing to a position below said `formation, said assembly having at least one packer and atubular screen Awith an axial opening therethrough for the passage of. a'casing perforator, displacing said drilling .fluid out of said casing by circulating a clean iluid through said casing and said tubing, temporarily hanging said tubing in said casing with said assembly above said formation, sealing the annular space between said casing and said tubing above said outlet, lowering a casing perforator through said tubing and said opening, placing at least one perforation in said casing at the elevation of said formation, lowering said assembly to a position opposite said perforation while maintaining said well under pressure control, disconnecting said tubing from said assembly, closing the lower end of vsaid axial opening, and setting said at least one packer on said assembly to cause well fluids from said producing formation entering said casing through said perforation to ow radially through said screen.

8. A screen liner assembly for running into a Well on a tubing comprising a screen pipe having openings in the wall, packer means to seal the upper end of said screen pipe to the Well wall, valve means to close the lower end of said screen pipe, said packer means and said valve means causing uids entering said well below said packer means to ow through said openings, a running sleeve xed to said assembly, a running tool xed to said tubing, means to detachably connect said running tool to said running sleeve to thereby connect said assembly to said tubing, a setting tool connected to said tubing for setting said packer means when said running tool is detached from said running sleeve, and a tubular mandrel on said running tool holding said valve open when said running tool is connected to said running sleeve to provide an opening extending through said tubing 'and said assembly for the passage of a well instrument into said Well below said assembly.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,298,131 Wilkirson Mar. 25, 1919 1,745,271 Roco Jan. 28, 1930 2,169,559 Halliburton Aug. 15, 1939 2,500,754 Huber Mar. 14, 1950 2,530,966 Huber Nov. 21, 1950 2,543,814 Thompson Mar. 6, 1951 s 2,598,512 Cypher May 27, 1952 2,602,516 Gray July 8, 1952 2,693,856 Allen Nov. 9, 1954 2,745,495 Taylor May l5, 1956 2,749,989 Huber June 12, 1956 2,766,828 Rachford Oct. 16, 1956 

1. A METHOD OF COMPLETING A WELL WHICH PENETRATES A HIGH PRESSURE FORMATION AND CONTAINS DIRTY FLUIDS, SAID WELL CONTAINING A CASING THROUGH SAID FORMATION, COMPRISING LOWERING AND OPEN-ENDED SCREEN LINER ASSEMBLY INTO SAID WELL ON A CONDUIT, AND SCREEN LINER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TUBULAR SCREEN, TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING SAID SCREEN LINER ASSEMBLY IN SAID WELL ABOVE SAID FORMATION, DISPLACING SAID DIRTY FLUIDS OUT OF SAID CASING OPPOSITE SAID FORMATION WITH A CLEAN FLUID, LOWERING A CASING PERFORATOR THROUGH SAID CONDUIT AND SAID SCREEN LINER ASSEMBLY, PERFORATING A SECTION OF SAID CASING AT THE ELEVATION OF SAID FORMATION, AND THEN PLACING SAID SCREEN LINER ASSEMBLY IN 